8/13/2015

I went there for a birthday thing and because our Chicago home-girl Top Chef Stephanie is the owner/chef. Not only was the food amazing, but we sat next to another Iron Chef- I think from Japan? A little unexpected treat for us ladies who love any show with the word "chef" in it.

I don't go to fancy restaurants often but I'm so glad I got a chance to eat here. Awesome restaurant.

8/11/2015

This is a must eat if you're visiting Chicago!! This was my favorite restaurant out of all the places I tried in Chicago, and I really wish there was one in LA. This is another restaurant where the wait is ridiculously long so make sure to make a reservation months in advance. I tried to make one about 4-6 weeks in advance, but the date/time I wanted wasn't available so we just decided to go there anyways and see what we can do. The wait for the table was like at least 2 hours so we decided to wait for the bar seating which is open seating (but we put our name down on the waiting list too). We waited about 40 minutes and was finally seated at the lounge area.

We ordered the hamachi with pork belly, cooked oysters (raw was n/a), their infamous pig face, and the roasted cauliflower. I give everything 5/5 as it was spectacular (including presentation) with extremely unique and flavorful taste! The servers were also on point with the frequent refills of water without even having to call for them, even when we sat in the lounge area and not the table area. Surprisingly, my favorite was their cauliflower which was roasted with pine nuts, picked peppers, mint, and chili aioli. It tasted like a baked potato with all these flavorings and even my boyfriend, who at first did not want to order the cauliflower, said this was his favorite dish as well. ORDER THE CAULIFLOWER!! :)

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  Hamachi crudo, cooked oysters, pig face, & roasted cauliflower. THE CAULIFLOWER IS A MUST. BEST DISH HERE NO JOKE!

  Hamachi crudo, cooked oysters, pig face, & roasted cauliflower. THE CAULIFLOWER IS A MUST. BEST DISH HERE NO JOKE!

8/10/2015

After hearing so much hype about this restaurant, my friends and I had it at the top of our list of places to check out. The only problem is that snagging a reservation at a reasonable time is damn near impossible. We ended up booking 2 months in advance and still had to settle for a 9PM Sunday night time slot haha. By the time it was the weekend we were going, I actually completely forgot we even made the reservation.

All this advanced planning was just building up some massive expectations for the food. But I gotta say that Stephanie Izard and team totally delivered. It was easily one of my favorite meals I've had in Chicago so far.

For as hot of a restaurant this is, I actually thought the prices were pretty reasonable. Our group ordered a ton of stuff and got to try a little bit of everything, and it was still cheaper than a steak at Gibsons.

Food: I wasn't about to make 9PM Sunday dinners a habit, so we made it a point to order everything in sight as if there wouldn't be a next time. Luckily we had a big enough group to even try the massive goat leg too.

Chickpea fritter - A really tasty deep fried ball of hummus basically. Crispy on the outside, and smooth and creamy in the inside.

Sauteed greeen beans - Even though I generally don't like fish, I ironically love the taste of fish sauce for some reason (probably because of Filipino patis), so I enjoyed the salty vinaigrette in this dish.

Roasted cauliflower - They must be doing something right if I actually enjoyed eating veggies. Solid side.

Hamachi crudo - I just saw the words crispy pork belly on the menu and automatically ordered this. I didn't even realize it was a fish dish. I'm not the biggest seafood fan so it was far from my favorite bite.

Escargot ravioli - You couldve filled those suckers with anything and I still would've eaten it. The pasta was thin and fresh, and that sauce that was coating the ravioli was delicious. I just wish there was more.

Goat empanada - It pained me to split the empanada into thirds because it was so good. I could've eaten a ton of these. Crunchy and flaky crust with a juicy, meaty filling.

Ham frites - Eh. They were tasty but nothing more than fries with some sort of ham flavored dust on top. The dipping sauces were pretty money though.

Pig face - I had really high expectations because everyone I talked to and all the reviews I read were raving so much about it. Again, it was tasty but nothing mind blowing. Maybe I don't appreciate jowl meat as much as I should, but when you mash it all together, it tastes like a regular breakfast dish to me. It was like a gourmet version of bacon, eggs, and hashbrowns.

Pork shank - THAT ORANGE SAUCE. What is it?? I still have no clue, but I could literally drink it. There was nothing better throughout that entire meal than dipping pieces of naan in whatever sauce that was. The meat on the pork shank was amazing as well. Nicely crisped outside followed by succulent and fatty meat that fell off the bone. Hands down best dish of the night. I'll order this again and again.

Goat leg - We honestly ordered this mostly for the experience. We had enough people so why the hell not. They brought out a huge board with a big goat leg surrounded by a bunch of different sauces. It also came with some crispy onions and a whole basket of naan. The meat was super tender. In fact, we literally pulled the bone out clean with no effort. Maybe I just like the taste of pork better than goat, but in retrospect I would definitely just order multiple pork shanks next time instead of this. Worth it to try once though.

Overall, gatg is probably one of my favorite restaurants in the city. I'm not the most adventurous eater, so their ability to make me enjoy unique ingredients I wouldn't usually eat is a win. Everything tasted great...Really good contemporary tapas without the absurd fine dining prices.

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  sauteed green beans

  sauteed green beans
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  goat leg

  goat leg
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  pig face

  pig face
• See all photos from Mike M. for Girl & the Goat

8/10/2015

Girl & the Goat is another must try in Chicago! The Purple Pig ever so SLIGHTLY edges out Girl & the Goat but both are delicious. We came to Girl & the Goat after an amazing lunch at The Purple Pig so my tastebuds may have very well been biased.

In order of deliciousness:

*Sauteed Green Beans (Fish Sauce Vinaigrette. Cashews): This was a little bit on the salty side but the flavors were magical - the savoriness of the fish sauce + the rich cashew + fresh green beans...YES. I also love fish sauce + veggies (RIP Red Medicine).

*Wood Grilled Broccoli (Rogue Smokey Beu, Spiced Crispies): There's cereal in my broccoli?! YES. The broccoli was so wonderfully smoky from being wood grilled. Again, a little on the salty side but still tasty nonetheless

*Copper River Sockeye Salmon (Yellow tomato, vanilla bean yogurt, Sungold Salad, Spiced Peanuts): I really enjoyed how fresh this dish was. Beautiful colors with the tomato and cucumbers. Really well cooked Salmon. Why would one order Salmon at Girl & The Goat? When one is too pork'ed about from The Purple Pig.

*Wood Oven Roasted Pig Face (sunny side egg. tamarind. cilantro. red wine-maple. potato stix): I know this is THE thing to get here, so how come it's so low on my list? In my head, I imagined canto-style BBQ with an ACTUAL Pig's Face but of course, that's not appetizing is it? Haha.

*Escargot Ravioli (bacon. tamarind-miso sauce): The idea of Escargot freaks me out but figured that this was as good a time as any to try it. The ravioli was a little too mushy for my liking but, the sauce was divine.

*Goat Empanadas (Smoked Blueberry Tapenade. Avocado): This isn't exactly something I'd eat a lot of BUT I think it's a must try here. I didn't love the whole blueberries but weren't very incorporated in the dish itself. Props for a non-gamey goat though! anddd can't complain about the execution of the empanada itself

Parked on the street (metered) or there's valet.

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  Copper River Sockeye Salmon (Yellow tomato, vanilla bean yogurt, Sungold Salad, Spiced Peanuts)

  Copper River Sockeye Salmon (Yellow tomato, vanilla bean yogurt, Sungold Salad, Spiced Peanuts)
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  Wood Grilled Broccoli (Rogue Smokey Beu, Spiced Crispies)

  Wood Grilled Broccoli (Rogue Smokey Beu, Spiced Crispies)
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  Escargot Ravioli (bacon. tamarind-miso sauce)

  Escargot Ravioli (bacon. tamarind-miso sauce)
• See all photos from Tiffany H. for Girl & the Goat

8/10/2015

Ehh, this place is over hyped. We weren't able to make a reservation the week before but we came really early (at 5pm) for dinner on a Friday evening and was able to get a seat. Yay! Seems like you need to make reservation one month in advance in order to get a seat. We had a 2 hour dinner limit. Our server was friendly and helpful. You're suppose to order 2-3 dishes for each person. The portions are like tapas style  and to be shared family style. We ordered around 10 items. I don't remember everything we had but I felt half of the dishes we ordered were pretty salty. I did not really have a favorite dish, either. The price tag is up there, though.

Overall just an okay restaurant for me. My co-worker from UK wanted to try this place out since it's so popular and that was the reason we came.

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  Bread..almost gone

  Bread..almost gone
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  Hamachi crudo

  Hamachi crudo
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  Goat meat empanadas

  Goat meat empanadas
• See all photos from Susie C. for Girl & the Goat

7/30/2015

I don't have too many words because everything was mouth watering and decadent.

My roommate and I went here on a whim with way too many options in mind...the waiter actually told us to order less because we were overly ambitious and wanted to try everything.

We started off with the multigrain bread with spring onion cream cheese. Obviously filled our stomach because the cream cheese was delicious. Next, the kohlrabi salad came out... it was SO fresh and delicious with hints of basil. Definitely recommend if you're looking to start out your meal with a salad.

Next, my roommate and I's entrees came out. She ordered the crisp braised pork shank and pan roasted halibut and was basically swimming in deliciousness for an hour. I devoured the spring onion pierogies. They were soft and potatoey and mouth watering. Granted, I was STUFFED but I still ate 3/4 of what was on my plate.

Finally, our waiter brought out small samplers of dessert. I definitely recommend the budino always and forever. The blackberry shortcake was nothing compared to the budino.

We would come here every week if we could... obviously reservations should be made months in advance. We came here because we found a random opening. Definitely recommend with flying colors for vegetarians! Oftentimes, classy American restaurants like this just serve veggies with some random sauces, but Girl & the Goat amazed me throughout every dish that was brought out.

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  Small samplers of blackberry shortcake and miso-butterscotch budino (budino was TO DIE FOR)

  Small samplers of blackberry shortcake and miso-butterscotch budino (budino was TO DIE FOR)
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  Spring onion pierogies with ramp goddess and rhubarb chimichurri

  Spring onion pierogies with ramp goddess and rhubarb chimichurri
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  Crisp braised pork shank with buttermilk dressing, grilled sprig onion kimchee, and naan

  Crisp braised pork shank with buttermilk dressing, grilled sprig onion kimchee, and naan
• See all photos from Pranitha P. for Girl & the Goat

7/22/2015

If you can get reservations here and you're from out of town... do it. So glad we were able to. My friends and I actually booked at least 2 months in advance and were successful! On the day of our dinner... We had to push our dinner back an hour or 2 due to our tourist schedule; we were still good to go!

Inside - looks pretty cool. Busy and quite nice. I like the whole set up.

Service - Very good. Our server was attentive & food came out at a good pace.

As for the reservations part - we sat near the front, so I heard a lot of people coming in and some didn't have rezzies. Most of them sat at the bar waiting for a table to open up. That could be an option for you. I personally don't like waiting over an hour for a table.

Food -- our server said 2 per person would be filling enough. But really... it depends on what you order. My friends and I were kind of mislead on portions wise. Haha. Oh well. More food is better than less food.

My favorite dishes...

Crispy Braised Pork Shank - This is entree sized. I thought it was smaller, but when it came out....My eyes were bigger than my stomach. The meat was so good - done just the way I like it. Especially with the sauces & Naan bread. They do include some sort of Mango Kimchi. I don't like fusion Kimchi, so I barely at it, but my friends had it and enjoyed it. I'm drooling just thinking about this dish... YUM. I highly recommend this item, especially if your table wants to do a "share each dish" kind of thing!

Goat Liver Mousse - The bread/mini biscuit came out warm and smelled enticing. The taste of the bread was super good. Imagine a super good piece of bread along with Mousse, Jam, and some sort of Pickled Veggies. AHHH. Melted in my mouth. This dish was pretty big. Definitely shareable. But if one was only wanting this dish and nothing else, go at it.

Grilled Octopus & Spicy Chili Crab - if you like seafood and you like grilled items. I'd get these. Both dishes had bold and strong flavors and they were given in generous portions. The rice in the Spicy Chili Crab absorbed all the ingredients and was delicious. Grilled Octopus was done perfectly. Some places kind of fail at grilling this usually, but not G&TG! MMMM.

^ I should note... I rarely eat seafood. So... my taste buds are different.

Duck Tongues - I kind of thought this tasted like Chicken. I've never had Duck Tongue till now. So... not an expert. Even though to me the name is weird, I still enjoyed the dish. I actually used the sauces included in my Crispy Braised Pork Shank to give it more of a zing.

5/5!

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  Saw Nat Faxon when we dined here :)

  Saw Nat Faxon when we dined here :)
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  Crispy braised pork shank

  Crispy braised pork shank
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  Grilled octopus

  Grilled octopus
• See all photos from Rachel K. for Girl & the Goat

8/10/2015

Worth trying at least once or twice, if you can get a reservation (which is usually months in advance) or if you get lucky on a day-of cancellation.

Recommendations for dinner: Wood Oven Roasted Pig Face, Crisp Braised Pork Shank, Hamachi Crudo, Steamed Cape Cod Mussels, Pan Fried Shishito Peppers, Roasted Beets, and Confit Goat Belly.

MUST try the PB&J dessert, will leave you wanting so much more.

7/20/2015

First things first, make sure you book in advance -- as soon as you know you're headed to Chicago and want to dine here. I booked probably 2 months ahead, and got a time near their dinner opening on Friday night. At around 4:15 (opening time is 4:30), I saw that they already had people lined up outside who were hoping to get seats without having a reservation. It looked like they were successful, so if you don't have a reservation, I recommend you go during non-peak hours for sure.

The food was awesome. I love how they crafted their menu items to be moderately-sized dishes (for the most part) that you share with the rest of your group. This lets you sample quite a few things on their menu.

Our waiter told us to not forget the veggies, as their veggie dishes are really excellent. We tried to get the chickpea fritters,  it were told that the tasting of that dish that happened at 4 pm before the restaurant opened pushed the timing of the dish back such that it wouldn't be ready until 9 pm that evening, or perhaps not at all. I thought that was a pretty good move for the restaurant, not wanting to serve a dish that they didn't think was perfect. We ended up getting the roasted cauliflower -- and whoa, I have never been impressed with cauliflower before in my life until that dish came out!

We heard good things about the wood oven roasted pig face, which ended up being pretty good, although very heavy. I would have liked a little more of the tamarind or perhaps something more citrus-y to cut through the heaviness. Although the dish was not large, I felt very full even just after a few bites. Our waiter came by and mixed the dish up for us when he say they we weren't doing so enough, which was also nice.

Finally, we got the goat neck, which we were told ahead of time was a large dish so we didn't need to order much more after that. That was definitely a correct statement -- I never though goat necks were that big! But it was a really good part of the goat which I had not tried before. The meat was super tender, and just came right off with your fork. They prepare the near over a multi-day period and it comes out super rich, a little smokey, but not at all dry. The flavor is excellent, and the sauces paired with it are awesome as well. The vegetables on the bottom kind of got lost with the huge goat neck on top of it, and I would have liked a few more veggies in general. We ended up having to take some goat neck back home with us, and we left with several suggestions from our waiter about awesome goat neck leftover dishes.

Overall, an excellent experience. It seems like their menu changes pretty frequently, because a lot of the dishes mentioned in other posts were not on the menu when we were there. So, it looks like they have good variety in general and do a good job with all of their dishes. I will be back :)

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  Goat neck

  Goat neck
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  Wood oven roasted pig face

  Wood oven roasted pig face
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  Wood oven roasted pig face -- mixed up

  Wood oven roasted pig face -- mixed up
• See all photos from Tiffany W. for Girl & the Goat

8/9/2015

This place had reservations 1 month out in advance and the only way to eat here was to come early and wait for a table. We show up 15 minutes before it opened and there was already a line! But right when they opened we were seated right away given the promise that we would give back the table in an hour and a half for reservations. Our server was amazing, knew every ingredient in everything that we wanted. We ended up getting the octopus and it is the second best octopus we have had only second to Hawaii! We then got the pig face and the goat leg and we were done! It was so good and juicy that we wobble out of the restaurant. So glad we got the privilege to try this  busy restaurant.

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  Goat leg. I am doneeeee

  Goat leg. I am doneeeee
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  Pig face

  Pig face
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  Octopus

  Octopus
• See all photos from Annie N. for Girl & the Goat

7/13/2015

On my trip to Chicago, I knew I had to go to Girl & the Goat. It's a very popular spot, and you need to make reservations ahead of time. I stopped by on a Monday night, and it was packed.

I ordered the wood roasted pig face, braised pork shank and escargot ravioli. My favorite of the night was the pig face. It comes out with an egg on top, and you mix everything together. It was very crispy and all the favors blended perfectly together. My bf loved the braised pork shank. It was fall of the bone, juicy and tender. The escargot ravioli was cooked al dente, though I couldn't taste too much of the escargot.

For dessert, we ordered the chocolate truffle cake and the waitress brought us the miso-butterscotch budino because it was our anniversary. Both desserts were amazing!!I highly recommend them!

P.S. Service is exceptional here! I really liked our waitress, I forgot her name but she was amazing and very personal.

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  Miso-butterscotch budino

  Miso-butterscotch budino
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  Chocolate truffle cake

  Chocolate truffle cake
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  Pig face

  Pig face
• See all photos from Vy T. for Girl & the Goat

7/19/2015

This place is so popular, the only time I could get a reservation for my table of 5 was 11pm on a Saturday night. Booked a month in advance too! However, I gotta say based on my experience.. it was worth it!! Here is what my table ordered:

- Bean sprout, was okay. Sauce was good and it went nicely with the other dishes.
- Beef tongue, so tender and yummy!
- Pig face, had an egg on top that you mix together. It was good and easily shareable.
- Soft shell crab, surprisingly tasty, soft and crispy!
- Baby octopus, the only dish I didn't love. Way too salty for me.
- Goat belly, my pick and it was awesome! Never had goat belly but I loved it.
- Ended my order with their Ruby don't love me drink. Light and sweet.

Someone from my table also wanted the pork shank dish but heard it was out. However, towards the end our nice server Alex came out with the dish saying they didn't want to disappoint and it was on the house! This dish was pretty substantial, the pork was tender and falls off the bone.

Overall, I had a great time. My favs would be beef tongue, soft shell crab and goat belly. If I came to Chicago again, I would probably try more goat dishes and the fish (which I heard is good too). Would definitely recommend this place as one not to miss!

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  Pork shank

  Pork shank
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  Goat belly! Love!!

  Goat belly! Love!!
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  pig face

  pig face
• See all photos from Danthanh L. for Girl & the Goat

7/8/2015

Pretty exceptional! Having known about this place for the past month or so I booked early because this is one of the most sought after restaurants to eat at. With 3986 reviews how do you pass this up?! I think this is the most reviews I've seen on Yelp history!

Taking a quick look at the menu a few items like the pig face and beef tongue may scare ordinary eaters away! But with good persuasion and open minds you could lure your guests and friends to this eatery!  Per the server's suggestion she recommended sharing 6 to 8 plates like family style for a table of four. Bread. Oysters. Goats. Veggie. Fish. Meat. Dessert.

Bread: yo quiero taco bread. Nom mom nom!! A cute little mound of orange-colored possibly tomato bread sliced. Side of cheddar onion dip and pico de gallo. Ate it too fast to realize the taste of the actual bread. The combination of the sides on the bread created a wonderful appetizer. $4

Oysters: Wood Fired. 4 oysters with some white sauce and cooked over a well... Wood fire! If you're not into the texture of the food, the oyster might not be for you. $12

Goats: failed to order something from this section. Boo hoo. The items are quite interesting too!

V:
-pan fried shishito peppers. Served in a bowl with melted Parmesan on top and sprinkled sesame seeds and a miso glaze. Peppers are with stems that are easily broken off and filled with edible seeds. A slight hint of spice. Good dish. $9
-wood grilled broccoli. A high stack of broccoli on top of the rogue smokey bleu cheese and spiced crispies. In a simple matter this is the fancy adult version of broccoli and cheese. Simple dish. $10

F: pan roasted halibut with marcona almond butter on top and pieces of white asparagus underneath with a blueberry nuoc cham to cover. Portion was about a 2x2 measurement. Buttery soft and delicious. The almond butter stood out as a complementing flavor. $19

M:
-grilled marinated pork belly. castelfranco (which is a pale yellow-green leafy vegetable) with green sauce and blackberries. These were thin slices of pork that didn't resemble the pork belly and fat that I'm used to. $15

-sugo. canestri pasta with a meat mixture of beef, pork and lamb with baby carrots and cape gooseberries. An enjoyable wholesome pasta dish. $15

-wood oven roasted pig face. Soft pieces of pork face with a sunny side egg on top and sprinkled tamarind and cilantro. red wine-maple was decorated along with potato stix. I would say this is a flavorful dish that a meat lover would devour. $18

-braised beef tongue. Thin slices of beef tongue and a crispy skin-like layers of something matched the tongue. Almost tasted like crispy duck skin. Could have been a rendition of masa (dough flour or the outside of a tamale) beef vinaigrette and salsa verde were mixed within the entree. A favorite dish of the night! $15

Desserts: beyond full to even enjoy a dessert.

The one incident that was odd was that the server didn't recognize anything about a special benefit via Lexus. If you show your key fob supposedly you were supposed to receive a nice surprise from the kitchen. However, the server did not know anything about it! Bummer!

Ending thoughts: I'm glad I experienced unique tastes for one of the most popular restaurants in the city. Great food selection. One thing you'll notice is the giant girl and the goat wall painting. A little on the dark side. Looking forward to dining here again.

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  Wood oven roasted pig face

  Wood oven roasted pig face
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  Oven roasted halibut

  Oven roasted halibut
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  Grilled broccoli

  Grilled broccoli
• See all photos from Tzarina W. for Girl & the Goat

7/17/2015

We came here on a Thursday night at 5:45.  It started to rain about 15 minutes prior to our arrival.  We had no reservations and didn't have to wait with a party of 4, lucky us.  It is quite a hippy type of place.  Tapas seems to be the thing these days, great way to try a variety of dishes.  We had 9 orders, and 2 desserts.  I can only comment on the items I can eat,  

Soft shell 'chili crab' strawberry, crab rice - the soft shell crab was amazing, fried perfectly with plenty of flavor and quite sweet since soft shell crabs are in season, I just didn't think the strawberry, crab rice was the right combination, the rice tasted very vinegar.  

Pan roasted halibut with Marcona almond butter, white asparagus, blueberry Nuoc Cham - the halibut tasted very tender and not fishy, the top of the halibut was crispy given it a different type of texture.  

Grilled baby octopus with guanciale, fava beans, pea tips, pistachios, lemon vinaigrette - the octopus was also quite good, tender and not chewy but a little on the salty side.

Breadstick buns - these were garlic type buns, they were very tiny and cost a lot.

Chocolate truffle cake with just the right amound of coconut - this was very sweet and delicious, I love the coconut combination, presentation was beautiful, ice cream surround by chocolate cake.  

Blackberry shortcake with Thai basil, lime and almond - this was just plain and simple, nothing special.  

Service was quite good.  The average tapas was about $16, the portions are not that big.  For the price, I expected a little more.  

I don't know if this is worth an hour or more wait, I encourage you to make reservations.  You can sit at the bar or the lounge if you don't really need to sit at a table.  It is a decent place but a little on the noisy end, so not sure if it's a good date place.  

Nonetheless a place with 4000+ reviews and 4.5 stars is quite impressive to me.  Two of my friends recommended it to me and I decided to give it a try.  If the line gets too long, there are many highly recommended restaurants nearby.

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• 
• 
• See all photos from Bakchun K. for Girl & the Goat

8/6/2015 Updated review

Just a quick update from my previous review. Honestly, everything I've had there I would have again. This time, we had shisido peppers, pierogies, crab Rangoon, halibut, something raw I can't remember, and chick pea fritters. We were still hungry by the last course, so we decided to order all three of the breads, which weren't too pricey, and we enjoyed the mall-the buns with a tomatoey sauce were generally agreed to be the best. The Rangoon was the least exciting, not a ton of flavor really just fried, so it wasn't bad, but nothing to write home about.

We got the berry short bread for dessert. The butterscotch thing was better, much more interesting and flavorful, but the shortcake was very good for a short cake dish, and they did a lot with it-fresh berries, cream, almonds for a much more interesting texture, and some berry sorbet or ice cream.

Like last time, I'd say the drinks were the least exciting part of the meal. They were Alright just not super interesting or flavorful. The great fruity one was sort of watery.

Again, the service was excellent, they were totally on top of water refills and play changes. They also never seem to rush people, and a meal there naturally ends up being about 2 1/2 hours, which is really nice for having dinner with friends.

Oh, and we sat outside this time, it was the perfect night for it, and everyone was very solicitous about our comfort with respect to the heat lamp.

8/4/2015

I don't think I can ever eat normal food again.

We are visiting Chicago and my son picked out this restaurant. We ordered the multigrain bread ($4), roasted cauliflower ($9), calamari bruschetta($16), oven wood roasted pig face ($18), and miso-butterscotch budino dessert ($9).

All the dishes came separately but very, very quickly. We never finished one dish before the next one came out. All four dishes came within 8-10 minutes.

Multigrain bread came with sour cream cheese with chives and rhubarb spread with mint. It was amazing! Not a big serving but a good deal for $4.
Oven roasted pig face came with a sunny side up egg over it and some sweet/tangy sauces. It was a crispy on the outside but chewy and soft on the inside - probably the best dish of the night.
Calamari bruschetta came at a close second. Sturdy pieces of bread were soaked in sauce and topped with herbs, veggies, and delicious calamari. 4 small pieces were included in the dish.
Roasted cauliflower was also delicious. The pine nuts are an important addition to give you a good crunch.
The miso-butterscotch budino was nicely done with toffee bacon and cashews. The miso flavor isn't strong, but the saltiness stands out to compliment the sweetness of the rest of the ingredients. A great way to end the night.

If you're visiting Chicago it's a place you have to try.

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• See all photos from Yu-kwong C. for Girl & the Goat

6/25/2015

Five (5) stars and beyond for every food item.

THE AMBIANCE:

Girl and the Goat ("GG") is an upscale restaurant and bar. There is wood, brick, beautiful lighting, and interesting decorations. In terms of the look of the place, if you're from San Diego think Craft and Commerce but a larger space and bougie. If you're from Los Angeles think The Stocking Frame + the upscale feel of Perch.

THE FOOD:

Wow. Wow. Wow. I am in LOVE with GG's food. It was a group of four (4) of us and we tried a lot of things on the menu. The menu is split into vegetables, fish, meat, bread, oysters, goats, and desserts. The food is tapa-style and our waitress recommended getting a good amount of plates to share.

Here is the list of what we tried and my thoughts:

1. Wood Grilled Broccoli: rogue smokey bleu cheese. spiced crispies.
Even the non-brocolli eaters at the table could not get enough of this smokey and creamy treat. The broccoli was perfectly cooked - soft but also dense - and what made me smile were the rice crispies. So random but so perfect.

2. Hamachi Crudo: crisp pork belly. chili aioli. caperberries.
Very light and refreshing. The hamachi was topped with crispy flakes, there were small slices of jalapeños and pineapple, and it also came with pieces of juicy pork.

3. Ham Frites: smoked tomato aioli. cheddar beer sauce.
This platter is fries dusted in bacon with the sides of sauce noted above.

4. Wood Oven Roasted Pig Face: sunny side egg. tamarind. cilantro. red wine-maple. potato stix.
The pig face was roasted to perfection. It was semi-fatty and caramelized. The yolk oozed onto the meat and created creaminess. I loved this!

5. Braised Beef Tongue: masa. beef vinaigrette. salsa verde.
GG is very generous with the beef tongue in this dish. They fry the masa into a crispy chip and the rest of the plate is garnish and greens. the beef tongue was very tender.

6. Goat Empanadas: smoked blueberry tapenade. avocado.
I really enjoyed the empanadas because they were the right amount of crispy and dense. The empanadas came atop a bed of mashed avocado and were sprinkled with cheese. The chef throws some soft cherries on top. The cherries are more juicy than sweet.

7. Confit Goat Belly: bourbon butter. lobster n' crab. fennel.
The goat belly reminded me of the Wood Oven Roasted Pig Face ("PF") but the PF had a caramelized taste. This dish is a surf and turf option and comes upon a bed of what tasted to me like a smooth mashed potato but I could be wrong. Whatever it was, it was yummy.

8. Horchata Rice Pudding: rhubarb semifreddo. cinnamon toast crunch.
Putting my I'm Mexican -I love horchata - I love arroz con leche - bias aside, I can honestly say this is the BEST dessert I have ever had in my LIFE. Rhubarb? Really? YES! What an odd mix of texture and flavor and what a fabulous explosion of deliciousness in my mouth. This cold horchata ball (semifreddo - semi-frozen dessert) that won't melt sits atop a warm rice pudding. On the side they place the rhubarb, which is crunchy and tart, and then on top of it all goes their homemade cinnamon toast crunch in pieces and two big chips at the top. It was ridiculous! You have to try this!!

THE TIPS:

Don't think about coming here - Do it!  Try everything.

• 

  Horchata Rice Pudding

  Horchata Rice Pudding
• 

  So fatty ... So good.

  So fatty ... So good.
• 

  Wood Oven Roasted Pig Face

  Wood Oven Roasted Pig Face
• See all photos from Paola N. for Girl & the Goat

7/29/2015

We had our reservation at 10:45 pm. We were sit right after we arrived. We were sit right at the kitchen window, which is super awesome as we can see all the cooks cooking! And it is REALLY COOL!!!!!!

The servers were wonderful! Our server is very enthusiastic about her job and is very knowledgable about the menu as well. After she learnt that this is our first time at Girl and a Goat, she explained the menu to us very thoroughly! We were told we should order 4-5 dishes to share for a party of 2. We ordered the pig face, the goat belly, the halibut and the beef rib. We wanted to order the scallop as well but after the first four dishes she immediately told us that it might be too much for us as the dishes we ordered are all the heavy side.

First, the halibut is to die for. The flavor is so interesting and complicate! You have to try it!

Second, the pig face!!! This is probably the most-famous dish here! It is indeed on the heavy side, but it is really good! The meat is juicy and tender, it is a nice touch to have a sunny side up egg paired with it!

The goat belly was paired with lobster and crab, and braised in lemon-flavored purée like thing..It is just wonderful.

The beef rib was a little bit too salty for me...

Plus, for some reason, we got a cauliflower for free and it is just delicious!!!

Very very good experience here! Will be back!!

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  Beef rib

  Beef rib
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  Cauliflower

  Cauliflower
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  Halibut

  Halibut
• See all photos from Wenqing S. for Girl & the Goat

6/19/2015

My first review since moving to Chicago, and it sets a pretty high bar for my future food expeditions! I've eaten here during previous visits and I must say the food seems even better than before. The flavors are fantastic and the atmosphere is great, albeit a bit loud. There are so many reviews already so I won't add much except to say I definitely appreciate the Vietnamese undertones of several dishes on the menu. I will mention we asked for mini portions of some veggie dishes and our server acted like he didn't know what we were talking about...but ended up getting them for us anyways. The portions were perfect for the two of us so I'll forgive that awkwardness.

Pig face. Get this.
Halibut. Get this.
Butterscotch Budino. You MUST get this.

Make reservations well in advance unless you like waiting or can sneak into a bar seat.

• 

  pig face, goat belly, cauliflower, budino

  pig face, goat belly, cauliflower, budino

6/18/2015

Girl and the goat was one of the highlights of a fantastic trip to Chicago!!! From the cocktails to the food to the service, everything, and I mean everything, was 5 stars for me!

Make reservations, like yesterday, and you can message me and thank me later! :)

We ordered;
- duck tongue
- fries
- octopus
- halibut
- pig face
- roasted cauliflower

It was my first time having duck tongue and all I can say is, WOW!!! Who would have EVER thunk that duck tongue and raw tuna would go so well together?? Well, it does! It is perfect in every bite. The duck tongue was a little salty but the raw tuna evened it out so well. The fries were good, too! They came with a side of two different sauces; one that was a cheese sauce and the other, not sure what it was other than amazing. Octopus was also delicious, halibut was flaky and perfectly cooked. Pig face was exactly what I expected it to be.. Fatty and succulent. It also came with a fat egg on top so u mix the two together and there you'll have the most amazing pig face you'll ever touch base with. Roasted cauliflower was perfectly seasoned and had the perfect bite to it!

I also ordered a Manhattan cocktail and an old fashioned. Both were top notch.

Service is something to definitely write home about. In between these plates we ordered, our servers made sure we always had clean plates! They would switch em out with every 2-3 new food plates they brought out to ensure the flavors of each plate didn't mix. Our waters were never even close to empty and with every crumb, our server made sure he wiped that off asap! I was so impressed by the food, the decor, the service, everything!!!! So impressed, I would have to admit that this is the best dining experience I've had in a LONG time! I mean talk about impressed from the minute we stepped in to the minute we stepped out! It's been 2 days since
I've been back home in dallas from Chicago and I'm still raving about girl & the goat!

• 
• 

  Pig face.... Hiding underneath the fat egg :)

  Pig face.... Hiding underneath the fat egg :)
• 

  Octopus

  Octopus
• See all photos from Tuvy P. for Girl & the Goat

7/23/2015

Review Number 100, it's supposed to big a momentous occasion, and I've chosen a restaurant that I have yet to hear any bad things about.  Girl & the Goat comes highly recommended, the food and service are great, Stephanie Izard is a wizard in the kitchen, yep great things. This has not been my experience.  I'd like to think it was just a one-of, but have been multiple times and the food was not better the second or third time around.  I've had to send food back because it was unpalatable, over-reduced and extremely salty (the kitchen was taken aback, as if such a thing was impossible...)

Dishes I have enjoyed: sauteed green beans and roasted cauliflower
Other dishes I did not: goat confit, pork stew, goat loin, loup de mer, pig face, goat empanada, sugo

You'll notice a pattern here, the side dishes were very delightful, but the main courses were not.  Many people have described the food as artisan, and I would agree.  The spices are unique, but used heavily.  When the base is a piece of meat, which has great innate flavor, and you add lots of spice, then it becomes too much.  But with veggies like green beans or cauliflower, the flavor comes from the spices, and the dish is well balanced.  Perhaps I ought to be a vegetarian for a night, at a place with goat in the name no less.  But at the end of the day, if you are going to spend $$$ per person then it better be delicious, and Girl & the Goat did not meet that high bar.

5/31/2015

I think this is the yelpiest restaurant in Chicago. Luckily I was able to squeeze it in when I realized it was only open for dinner. It opens at 4:30 and knowing how this place is super poppin, there will already be a line when it opens. We got there around 4:25 and those hosts really know wassup. They remembered our group and said that we would be seated but would have to leave by 6-6:30 for reservations. The bar seating is first come first serve but since we had a group of six, we had to get seats and luckily we got eeeet. There is a pretty decent sized waiting area that was crowded when we arrived. You dont put your name down either. We had this goat item and funny thing is I dont like game haha. Derp

1) Chickpea Fritter- Yeah I wasnt feeling it. It tasted too potato-y carby so I wouldnt get it.
2) Green Beans- These were good. You always need some greens in your meal
3) Pig Face- This is the famous one. The meat was tender and nice and having that yolk explode always adds a nice touch
4) Pork Shank- Even though we got the pig face, we ordered the pork shank for mo. The crispy parts on the outside are always the best.
5) Escargot Ravioli- This was my first time trying escargot and I have to say this isnt something I would ever crave. Maybe if you are into it, then this is the place to go
6) Roasted Cauliflower- yummy.

• 

  Cauli

  Cauli
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  Pork shank

  Pork shank
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  Chickpea fritter

  Chickpea fritter
• See all photos from Amy H. for Girl & the Goat

8/11/2015

Fantastic meal and experience!  I made our reservation months in advance, so we'd been looking forward to eating here for some time.  From the moment we walked in to the moment we left, everything was exceptional!  We sat on the end of a row of half booth/half chair seats, so we technically had three seats at our table.  I didn't notice the noise that so many people have referenced, but that may be because we only had one table next to us.  Service was prompt and excellent.  I'd say it was some of the best service I've ever received at a restaurant.  We started with drinks, one of which was recommended by our server.  They offer shared plates and our server recommended two plates per person.  We ordered the sauteed green beans, pan roasted halibut, the roasted pig face, and the goat empanadas.  Everything was so delicious!  Very strong and rich flavors.  I'd have to say my favorite of the dishes we tried was the halibut with the empanadas right behind.  For dessert we had the chocolate truffle cake.  I'm not a big fan of coconut, so I was a little concerned I wouldn't like it, but it truly was just the right amount.  My only complaint of our experience was we waited a little long for my boyfriend's second drink, but other than that we really enjoyed our meal.  I'd say it's one of the best meals I've had in Chicago.

• 

  Chocolate truffle cake

  Chocolate truffle cake
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  Pig face

  Pig face
• 

  Halibut.. Order this!!

  Halibut.. Order this!!
• See all photos from Tracy Y. for Girl & the Goat

6/8/2015

Girl & and the Goat sure knows how to deliver good meat! Between my boyfriend and I, we ordered the goat liver patê, goat shank, and the famous pig face:

Goat liver patê - it came with a jar of caramelized patê along with ramekins of blueberry puree, rhubarb, diced pickles, and 5 crumpets. The crumpets were so fresh and hot with the perfect crisped edge. All of the accompaniments were the perfect amount of tartness to cut through the richness of the patê.

Pig face - The favorite of the night. Topped with a perfect fried egg, the tender pork was the perfect amount of fattiness that sat on top of some hash for texture, paired with cilantro, tamarind, and red wine sauce. So yummy, we definitely plowed through this quickly.

Goat shank - a very generous portion and a leaner take on goat meat. I loved the summer quinoa salad it came with. If i had to pick one dish to eliminate, it would be this one only because it wasn't prepared in too special of a manner.

Most people seem to order around 5 dishes for 2 people but we were stuffed after these 3. If you want to try more dishes, I would recommend coming in a bigger group since it's a pretty casual rustic restaurant.

Even though I thought all of the dishes were prepared well, I decided on 4 stars because of its lack of fresh/lighter options. They do have vegetable and seafood dishes, but even those dishes seemed heavy-handed with the seasoning and sauces, but to each their own.

Definitely make reservations a few months in advance. I think we made them online 2.5 months in advance and we were only able to get 4:45pm for a Saturday.

• 
• 

  Goat shank with quinoa summer salad

  Goat shank with quinoa summer salad
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  Pig face

  Pig face
• See all photos from Stacey L. for Girl & the Goat

5/31/2015

I've been to Little Goat numerous times and wasn't a big fan (read my Little Goat review). However, I'm a fan of Girl and the Goat. I came here for meeting dinner and we had a customized menu (not sure what the regular menu had to offer). Unfortunately, i wasn't able to take photo of each dish (due to professionalism for this dinner). Overall, it was served family style and each entree mostly veggie dishes were well balanced with flavor. If you have nut allergy, you may have challenge with the menu. Overall, will come back and try something different! BTW, i heard it's really hard to score a reservation.

House bread - it was delicious and hearty. Warm and soft complimented with cream cheese butter and tomato.

warm marinated olive- Usually not a fan of olive, but these were plump and juicy like a cherry.

kohirabi salad (fennel, evalon, toasted almond) - Flavorful and refreshing greenies.

Grilled baby octopus (fava bean, pea tips, pistachio, and lemon vinaigrette) - one of my favorite!! the octopus was not too well done and soft. I really like the compliments with the octopus.

green garlic pierogies (rhubarb chimichurri) - Favorite... the pierogie was lightly fried and was soft with potato inside. Love it!

roasted cauliflower (pinenuts, mint, pickled peppers) - Good, but doesnt stand out.

pan roasted halibut (marcona almond butter) - Good and cooked just right.

sauteed green beans (fish sauce vinaigrette and cashews) - Good  and doesn't quite stand out.

wood grilled broccoli - least favorite and too salty. No thanks

crisp braised pork shank (buttermilk dressing, kimchee sauce, and  naan) - LOVE IT - pork was soft and tender. It was nicely presented. I recommend skipping the buttermilk dressing and kimchi sauce, which doesnt compliment too well with the pork shank. The pork itself can be eaten alone.

assortment of dessert - consist of 4 different ice cream/gelato desserts. All 4 were quite similar (complimented with some sort of chocolate with vanilla ice cream)  and was really good. I had wish the waiter gave us an explanation of each dessert.

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  Pork shank

  Pork shank
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  Private party - customized menu

  Private party - customized menu

5/25/2015

This is the restaurant of Stephanie Izard (winner of Top Chef 2008) and we were excited to try her food while visiting Chicago. Despite the hype, this place is very down-to-earth and informal so though reservations are highly recommended, you could still get a table with good timing.

Food: 5/5
Dishes: Hamachi Crudo, Shishito Peppers, Goat Empanadas, Pork Shank, Budino
Everything was delicious and the Hamachi Crudo and Goat Empanadas gave me goosebumps. The flavors and textures all sort of dance on your tongue. It looks like simple, rustic food but it has various layers of complexity that make it surprising and so delicious.

Warning - the Shishito Peppers are freaking spicy!

Service: 3/5
The service wasn't bad, it just felt kind of awkward for me... and it isn't their fault! Our waiter was clearly a seasoned veteran and knew how to handle customers but the charm levels were a bit too high for me. It felt all very artificial and way too slick for my taste. It was impressive but I'm not fond of that kind of service.

Atmosphere: 3/5
The space feels like a barnhouse, hip and rustic. My complaint is that the air vents were right over our table and it was freezing cold but if you went further in the restaurant it was very warm. Also, it was so loud... it is hard to have a conversation here.

Value: 3.5/5
Each dish is around $15-20 each and they are tapas so you would have to order 1-2 dishes per person. Given the size of the dishes and price, I felt it was a tad expensive. However, the quality of the dishes were very high! I just wish it wasn't only a few bites of deliciousness for that price.

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  Hamachi crudo

  Hamachi crudo
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  Shisito peppers

  Shisito peppers
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  Goat empanadas

  Goat empanadas
• See all photos from Ana C. for Girl & the Goat

7/26/2015

Definitely worth planning ahead and making reservations here.
1. Shishito peppers: A bit salty, but so much intense flavor. I personally love my food covered in salt so I didn't mind the heavy hand in the salt jar.
2. Roasted Cauliflower: good, but just a bit too much cauliflower for me.
3. Kohlrabi salad: bright and refreshing.  Good palate cleansing dish between heavy meat dishes
4. Hamachi Crudo: sweet mary moses. I had to restrain myself and let other people taste this one. Delicious.

I can't remember what else we had, but everything was definitely on the heavy-flavored side of the scale, which for me, IS ABSOLUTELY PERFECT!
I like the family style and casual atmosphere of the restaurant. The drinks were on point, as well as the prices!

6/15/2015

Interesting place, fully packed.. Reserve in advance because it's not easy to get in.  

The food is good, but not as good as what I was expecting.. I went with a group, and we tried pretty much everything.. the goat empanadas were delicious!

• 

  The Pork

  The Pork

5/14/2015

Get a reservation here if you can because you will wait a long time if you go during prime hour.

My friend and I were about 15 minutes late to our reservation and I alerted the hostess that we would be late, also. They were very lenient when we finally arrived and got seated immediately.

Between the two of us, we shared four orders:

Pan Fried Shishito Peppers: this was an interesting twist to just regular ol' peppers. I really like the  unique flavoring of it. Nice little veggie plate to start off dinner.

Hamachi crudo: this plate was pure art, I loved the culinary design of it. It was too pretty to eat but after a few snaps, my friend and I digged into it. The hamachi is very fresh but I just wished they gave us a few more slices to the order!

Goat empanadas: I don't think I have ever had goat so we tried the goat empanadas. It was surprisingly yummy and I loved that it had avocado in it!

Pig face: yes, it's an interesting name but it is what girl & the goat is famous for and I can see why. This was my favorite dish of the night. It came with an egg on top and we were instructed to mix it up before eating. It highlighted so many areas of my taste buds and I could have eaten the entire portion to myself.

For four orders between two people, I was just about full. The food here is small portion and quite pricey so definitely don't come here on an empty stomach. Eating here is more of a culinary experience rather than a place to fill up your tummy.

Ambiance is dimmed lights and very romantic. But my table was terribly close to our neighboring parties so I did feel a bit awkward.

Parking is quite pricey here, $12 for valet but if you don't mind walking about five minutes, there is metered parking about three blocks away on Washington (past the freeway overpass).

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  Hamachi crudo

  Hamachi crudo
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  Goat empanadas

  Goat empanadas
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  Pig face

  Pig face

5/24/2015

If you don't have reservations, the wait is around 1-2 hours. Overall, great experience and I'd come back.
Our orders:
Grilled baby octopus: 8/10 octopus was cooked to perfection but the sauce was a little too salty for me.

Manila clam 'bruschetta': 9/10 fresh cooked clams with goat liver mousse baguette.

Roasted cauliflower: with pickled peppers and pine nuts. 10/10

Wood oven roasted pig face: with side of egg, potato sticks. 10/10! This was my favorite entree! Crispy potato sticks are sandwiched between two crispy pork.  I would come back for this for sure

Confit goat belly: 10/10 cooked in bourbon butter with lobster and crab.

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  Grilled baby octopus

  Grilled baby octopus
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  Roasted Cauliflower!

  Roasted Cauliflower!
• 
• See all photos from Kim P. for Girl & the Goat

5/5/2015

No trip to Chicago would be complete without visiting the famed Girl & the Goat - a foodie must! So, naturally we arranged our schedule so that we could visit this establishment during non-peak hours - as the were no available reservations even one month out! Crazy!

Anyways, we arrived early on a Wednesday afternoon (before opening actually) so that we could secure a spot. Once we were seated we decided to go all out and tried a large spread of items for two (below)

Food
* Honey sambal brioche with honey butter and pomelo fresno relish ($4) 4/5
- Warm and fluffy carbs! Yum! A great way to start our meal.

* Sauteed Green Beans with fish sauce vinaigrette, cashews ($9) 1/5
- It was a pretty substantial amount and more than enough for two to share; however, I wasn't a big fan of the sour taste. It was a bit too strong for my liking.

* Pan Roasted Halibut (marcona almond butter, white asparagus, blueberry nuoc cham) $18 The highlight of the meal (!!!) 10/5
- Our server informed us that this was a seasonal item and that Chef Stephanie won the Top Chef competition with this dish. Well obviously we had to order this and I'm so glad that we did. It was soft and buttery and I could not get enough of it. It was my favorite dish of my trip and I tried a lot of memorable items. If it's on the menu you'd be a food not to order it  

* Wood oven roasted pig face with sunny side egg, tamarind, cilantro, red wine-maple, potatoe stix ($18) 2/5
- This was the most popular item on the menu, but I guess the hype got the best of it. While it was robust in flavor, and I enjoyed the first bite, it was a bit too fatty and dense for me to continue eating more spoonfuls of it. Jeff kept putting it on my plate and I just switched plates with him :P

* Confit goat belly with bourbon butter, lobster n' crab, fennel ($19) 2/5
- It would seem unpatriotic to not try goat as it's in it's name-sake So, based on another reviewer's recommendation we tried the goat belly. Boy was it disappointing. There were too many components and I actually felt that the lobster and crab took away from the star of the plate - though I did like the seafood alone.  

Summary
Even though there were several dishes that I would pass on, The Girl and the Goat is still a restaurant that I would frequent again. The atmosphere is lively and I cannot praise her award-winning halibut enough. I would definitely come again just to eat that.  

Not sure if I'd wait an hour plus during prime-time dinner hours, but I would definitely come again in the mid-afternoon. I may also try the roasted cauliflower as it was also praised highly, but I'd pass on the red meats as I felt they were a bit too fatty and dense for my likely.  

Overall, a fun place! Check it out!

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  Pig face

  Pig face
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  Honey Sambai Brioche $4

  Honey Sambai Brioche $4
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  Award winning halibut

  Award winning halibut
• See all photos from Irene Y. for Girl & the Goat

5/29/2015

I don't understand why this place is one of the top restaurants in Chicago!!!! I big time disagree. The place is pretty but doesn't give up to the hype.
Every single dish we have ordered wasn't good at all.
The grilled oysters made me almost want to vomit. They were smelly and disgusting couldn't swallow it at all.
The octopus. Was very salty..
The tongue: which is my favorite dish usually! But This one was inedible.
The shrimp was ok but pricy for an okay 4 shrimp $17
Beet salad! Was the best out of everything $12

We really had such  a high hope to try this place. It was hard to make reservation and we tried our best to make it here... and in the end we didn't only left hungry but with a stomachache!
I definitely do not recommend the girl & goat restaurant!

• 

  The smelly oysters!

  The smelly oysters!
• 
• 
• See all photos from Sanaa M. for Girl & the Goat

8/10/2015

Foodie Central.  All sorts of delicious small plates.  Chef Izzard puts a South Asian flare to some of her dishes, which is refreshing.  The fritters and cauliflowers are a must...and definitely try one of the goat dishes.  Softshell crab was very tasty as well and I hear the pig face is a must-do.

FYI -- the bartender, Justin, was a pleasure.  Vert nice guy and a great mixologist.

7/13/2015

A much belated review but seeing as I may no longer be a Chicago girl as of soon, I thought it was about time to write this one up! We enjoyed a ton of dishes at Girl & the Goat, and just as well since we might've hit up about half the menu in one visit!

Some of my favorites:
- Start off your meal with the honey sambal brioche bread!  
- Delicious vegetarian options: chickpea fritter, celery root and cheddar pierogies, and the kale salad. I was super impressed with their non-meat options because those were very much on par with their meat dishes.
- Grilled pork belly
- And my personal favorite dish of the night, the crispy beef short ribs!

The seafood eaters at the table further enjoyed the grilled baby octopus, the scallops and the pan roasted trout (not bad!).

The roasted pig face didn't live up to the hype for me. I'm not sure what it was but it left a weird aftertaste in my mouth. I also thought the escargot ravioli was a pretty big miss. I was super excited to try it but in all honesty, I felt like I was eating dirt inside the ravioli (really expensive dirt at that), which was a sentiment echoed by a few of my fellow friends....which naturally, kind of killed the entire dish for us.

Nonetheless, a very successful night of eating your brains out at Girl & the Goat. Very exciting indeed. Can't wait to have a similar night at Stephanie's Izard's Duck Duck Goat upon my next return to Chicago!

8/10/2015

Amazing! Everything we had was absolutely delicious. Coming from Austin we have a great food scene but this was one of the best meals I have ever had. The halibut was so good that we ordered a second dish of it. The goat empanadas mmmm. Can't say enough great things about this place!

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  Goat empanadas

  Goat empanadas
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  Pig Face

  Pig Face
• 

  The halibut

  The halibut

7/3/2015

Im not sure where to begin! This place is absolutely amazing! If you are an adventurous eater, and into "different" things, than this is a place that I would put on your list when in Chicago.  

The owner is Stephanie Izard, who won Top Chef (the Bravo TV show), she opened the Girl and The Goat, back in 2010.  While doing some research for our trip, this place kept coming up! Then one night, we were watching a show on FoodNetwork, and yet again, we saw this place! After reading some reviews on yelp, I called (a month in advance) and made a reservation!

After taking a look at the menu, we decided on a few different things.  I should mention that these are all small dishes, so our waitress recommended we order between 5-7, which of course we did! We ordered the Spring Onion Pierogies, Goat Empanadas, Squash Blossom Crab Rangoon, Grilled Baby Octopus, the Tartare Special, and one of the bread specials, that I can remember at the moment! Everything was so AMAZING!!! Perfectly cooked, perfectly seasoned, and a decent portion! Definitely enough for two people to share! We also, had two cocktails (La Paloma...yes!!!!!) and for dessert we had the Chocolate Truffle cake, which, well, just try it!!!

All in all everything was amazing! The atmosphere is pretty awesome as well, lots of seating, open kitchen concept, so you see all the chefs working, which I personally enjoy.  Our waitress was fantastic, so sweet, so informative and so attentive!!

If you plan on coming, MAKE A RESERVATION!!!!!  

Enjoy!

6/26/2015

I can never resist provocative flavors and innovative dishes and Girl & the Goat delivers on both fronts.  

----The Food----
Crisp Braised Pork Shank ($26)- WOW. One bite of this tender, succulent pork shank and I delved into my own happy world--nothing else mattered.  Sharing this flavorful creation will be the worst part of your meal.  The Kimchee wing sauce and buttermilk dressing make perfect, tasteful dips for the pillowy soft naan too.

Roasted Pig Face ($18)- This wood oven dish was good, but fell short of expectations, especially since it's one of the more popular signature plates on the menu. It comes with a sunny side egg,  crispy potato stix, drizzled in tamarind vinaigrette, red-wine maple sauce and cilantro oil.  It's reminiscent of the pig face at Animal in LA, but more subdued in taste.  It's messy, it's good, just not mind blowing.

Grilled Marinated Pork Belly ($15)- Served with radicchio and an aromatic green sauce resembling pureed cilantro and avocado, this pork belly plate had an uplifting, light flavor, but the consistency of the pork belly was oft-putting.  I felt it was undercooked, giving it a chewier consistency than I can bear.  

Confit Goat Belly ($19)- While I'm a big fan of this order, I disliked the tiny portion.  Smothered in heavy bourbon butter and sprinkled sparingly with lobster/crab, it's a comforting plate that didn't taste as gamey as I thought it would.  

Roasted Cauliflower ($11)- Accompanied with pickled peppers, pine nuts and mint, it's a refreshing appetizer that is as good as Bar Ama's in LA.

Pan Roasted Halibut ($18)- I hate fish, but this masterpiece melts in your mouth and makes your eyes roll back to your skull.  Made with marcona almond butter, white asparagus, blueberry nuoc cham, the flavors are wonderfully surprising and unique.  Amazing.
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Conclusion: 4.5 Stars. Your inner carnivore will thank you, after giving the Girl & the Goat a visit.  I believe Chef Izard didn't need to be on Top Chef to gain popularity because her evocative and exquisite dishes speak for themselves.  The food, service, atmosphere, and even decor have a boisterous spirit that's contagious--you'll be overjoyed to be there.  I just wish the portions were bigger and the prices were cheaper.

Extra Notes:
-Accepts credit card
-Make reservations before hand! I made mine 3 months in advance
-Fantastic, suggestive service
-Dim-lit, but loud environment--a fun place to dine or date.
-Decor is beautiful in a hipsterish kind of way
-The art work is almost psychodelic
-Restrooms are clean

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• 
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  Pig face

  Pig face
• See all photos from Philip V. for Girl & the Goat

7/2/2015

The hubby and I dined the Girl & the Goat three years ago but made the huge mistake of having a large lunch beforehand and early reservation here. We were too full to enjoy the meal. This time, we came starving.

We ordered the three types of oysters (four oysters in each order) which came raw, barbecued and fried. Delicious. We also got the escargot ravioli as well as the goat's liver mousse with its yummy bread, tasty green beans and the famous pig's face. All the dishes were delicious and left us feeling very satisfied.

7/8/2015

Most memorable things:

Pig face!!!!!  
What???   That's right!  
Was soooo good!!!  Could eat it all day!!!  

Pork shank was "fall off the bone" delish!!!!  So juicy n tender with a lot of flavor!!  Flavor of the meat, not from salt or seasoning.  

Miso-butterscotch budino was amazing!  

Defiantly will have to go back to try more of the goat dishes.  The ones we had were just ok.  (Goat empanadas n goat belly confit.)

(Some mislabeling of dishes)

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  Hamachi crudo

  Hamachi crudo
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  Mmmmm beets!!!

  Mmmmm beets!!!
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  Delicious crafted cocktails n beer!!

  Delicious crafted cocktails n beer!!
• See all photos from Gin G. for Girl & the Goat

8/4/2015

Good restaurant and scene.

The crudo and pig face are the clear winning dishes here.

It can be a little loud, it can be a little crowded, it can be a little over hyped but then again Izard won top chef for a reason and is a celebrity chef. Deal with it.

-1 for dessert not being anything to write home about IMO.

8/5/2015

Not a lot to say that hasn't been said; great food if you like to eat things with hooves, not so great if you don't.

8/6/2015

When we visited Chicago, Stephanie Izzard's restaurant was definitely at the top of our list. We were unable to make reservations but I had read that sometimes if you check their Facebook, they'll post last minute openings so luckily we were able to come in on a Sunday night on our last night of the trip.

Ambiance is nice, definitely dark so expect to use that embarrassingly bright flash if you're trying to take pictures. From what I remember, service was great! Oven roasted pig face is definitely a must-try! But everything we ordered was pretty delicious. A little disappointed by dessert as nothing really jumped off the menu and screamed, "order me!" Got the date cake anyway and it was alright.

Would definitely come back to try more stuff of the menu!

7/6/2015

This is the hottest restaurant in Chicago, so of course I had to check it out while visiting. Reservations are definitely difficult to get, so plan ahead (like really ahead). I made the reservations over a month in advance, and the only time I got was a Monday night at 9:30pm.

Upon arriving, the place was definitely happening. We got seated right away and our server came by to offer us drinks. But of course with my luck, Chef Stephanie was not in the house.

Food was delicious! Definitely need to order the Pig Face. As others on Yelp have written, you don't get the actual face/head of the pig. Instead, you get deliciousness! Just order it!

Another must try for the adventurous are the goat dishes. C'mon, the place is called Girl & the Goat, you have to try at least one dish off the goat menu. The waitress said the safest dish for the not too adventurous was the goat empanada. It was delicious! And you don't really taste the gaminess you expect from goat.

Overall, this is definitely a must-try when in Chicago. So book early to snag a table. But in the case you don't get a table here, you can always go to their diner and bakery that are right across the street (literally).

4/20/2015

Wowza! Girl & the Goat has been on my list for a while now, and let's just say, I wasn't disappointed.

Some girlfriends and I had dinner here the other night and the entire experience was spectacular. We were seated promptly at our reservation time and the restaurant was bustling.

Highlights: everything. Seriously. Everything was superb.

We started with a bottle of pinot noir and the brioche with samba honey butter. Each dish came out as a separate course and we ate our way though the roasted cauliflower, halibut, crispy short ribs, pig face, and grilled octopus. Every dish was perfectly balanced with interesting flavor combinations and just enough acid to round them out. We ended the meal with the miso-butterscotch budino, and called it a night with full bellies.

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  Crispy short ribs

  Crispy short ribs
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  Pig face!

  Pig face!

8/3/2015

FINALLY! After waiting for months, we got a reservation to Girl and the Goat. I was super excited, since I'm a huge fan of Stephanie Izard and absolutely love Little Goat across the street.

G&TG is a small plates restaurant, where you order a few to try and share among your dining companions. Prices are pretty steep, but you get high quality food. Husband and I are teetotalers, so we opted not to get any drinks (good thinking, since they were $13 a pop) and ordered a few plates to share.

We got the goat belly, goat empanadas, hamachi crudo, calamari bruschetta, ham frites, and duck tongues. One thing I noticed at the end of the meal is that they progressed our meal from lightest to heaviest. I thought that was pretty cool (husband said he would have preferred the opposite, but he would have gotten The Itis after the first course, I guarantee you). I enjoyed everything, but there were some dishes I enjoyed more than others.

The goat belly was delicious, as always. The bourbon butter it was in was very sweet and too weird for me. I also could have sworn I tasted peanut butter in it! The goat empanadas were funky but tasty. I ate the avocado/blueberry sauce that was leftover with a spoon. The hamachi crudo was the star of the night: light fish with little pieces of pork belly and chili aoili. The calamari bruschetta was soooo oily. It was delicious, don't get me wrong, but it was swimming in a pool of oil or butter, maybe a bit of both. It made me glad I don't have my gallbladder anymore. The ham frites were tasty shoestring fries with some kind of ham salt, served with smoked tomato aioli and beer cheese sauce. The duck tongues were great! They just tasted like fried clams. There were little pieces of raw tuna mixed in as well. We didn't get dessert, but instead opted to go across the street to Little Goat and get a Choco Taco sundae.

Another thing worth noting that I appreciate: they leave a wine bottle of room temperature water at the table. As someone who is overly sensitive to cold drinks, this was a life saver. I killed two bottles of it.

4/6/2015

How does one end a trip to Chicago in a perfect way? I'll tell you how.. By having dinner at Girl and the Goat. And when I say perfect, I mean it from the first sip of alcohol to the last bite of food.

I ventured in here on a Saturday evening after hearing reading a great article about it. Reservations apparently have to be made at least a few weeks out in order to have a chance at dining here, but I tried my chances at finding seating at he bar.

While waiting for a seat to open up, I ordered the "Thai one on" cocktail which immediately took me to heaven. A mixture of rum, brandy, passion fruit and Thai chili syrup, it's one the best cocktails I've ever had.

After about twenty minutes, a seat opened up at the bar and I got busy on some food. It's recommended you order three dishes since the portions are small, (which is true) so I ordered the chickpea fritters, the crispy beef short ribs and the seared diver scallops.

The fritters were excellent. They are made with a tamarind and mango sauce, which added a sweetness making it perfect. The scallops were unbelievable. It came topped with ginger chili, mushrooms and peanuts. So the taste was about as unique a scallop dish I've ever had. The short ribs, made with a grapefruit chermoula sauce, was the home run dish of the evening as it was definitely the best short ribs I've ever had. Tender, juicy and the sauce gave it an amazing flavor.

Everything's about Girl and the Goat was absolutely perfect, down to the cool r&b music music playing in the background. It's a loungey atmosphere, yet chill at the same time. Bartender gave a thorough explanation of the menu and how each patron should go about ordering. This whole experience was excellent and is an absolute must in my opinion when visiting Chicago.

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  "Thai one on"

  "Thai one on"
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  Short ribs

  Short ribs
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  Pan seared scallops

  Pan seared scallops
• See all photos from Kevin M. for Girl & the Goat

7/5/2015

So I feel like we cheated a bit here, given that we'd heard so much about the Girl and the Goat from friends and that it's so highly reviewed. Nevertheless, we always choose 1 great restaurant to go to every time we visit my parents in the 'burbs (We're from Denver) and the Girl and the Goat had finally come up. In debating ratings, hubby and I agreed on a 5 because we simply could not think of a single dish that was anything less than excellent. The blueberry jam with the bread was rich, the bread itself having the right amount of butter. The green beans have ruined me for green beans ever again, with their delightful cashews and savory sauce. The chicken had just the right amount of smoked flavor to reflect a wood fired approach without being too smoky, and the halibut was polished off in seconds flat by my other half. We also loved the Pierogis and the service was on point (helpful without being obtrusive and with great (and enthusiastic) explanations of every dish). So many other nice touches, such as the fact that our water glasses never had the chance to be empty, the drinks were perfectly mixed and the server brought out a free birthday dessert for my husband (I'd noted it was his birthday in the reservations).

Along those lines, be sure to save room for dessert! We ordered a second blackberry cake  in addition to the budino (which wowed with its salty butterscotch flavor and homemade whipped cream) and both were incredible!

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  Pretty kitchen and great decor!

  Pretty kitchen and great decor!
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  Free Birthday Dessert (Butterscotch Budino=Angels Singing)!

  Free Birthday Dessert (Butterscotch Budino=Angels Singing)!
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  Pierogis

  Pierogis
• See all photos from Erin M. for Girl & the Goat

4/30/2015

Amazing and innovative menu, delicious and unique flavors, great service, classy and relaxed atmosphere. Girl & the Goat is one of the best restaurants in Chicago. Top Chef winner Stephanie Izard does not dissapoint!

We had reservations for a group of four on a weeknight, and were glad we did because it was a full house.

Braised beef tongue - an amazing dish, the beef was cooked well and enjoyed the texture and flavors with masa, beef vinaigrette, salsa verda.

Wood oven roasted pig face - so delicious and a must try. served with sunny side up egg, cilantro, and blended with flavors of red wine-maple, potato stix.

Escargot ravioli with bacon - snail and bacon together equals heaven in my mouth! loved the tamarind-miso sauce.

Bittersweet chocolate - loved the creamy and rich flavors of this dessert.

Miso butterscotch budino - I really enjoyed this dessert with it's sweet and caramel flavors with the custard pudding goodness.

Service was friendly, professional and prompt. Definitely make sure you make reservations as this place is popular and gets busy for dinnertime, especially with a bigger group. Prices are a bit steeper but is worth the quality and innovation of the food.

They even have the most adorable little logo of a little cartoon Goat, which I love. What is there not to love about Girl & the Goat?

Overall I really enjoyed my experience at this restaurant. The food is amazing, service is flawless and we all had a great time.

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  Girl & the Goat bittersweet chocolate and miso butterscotch budino.

  Girl & the Goat bittersweet chocolate and miso butterscotch budino.
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  Girl & the Goat escargot ravioli with bacon, tamarind-miso sauce.

  Girl & the Goat escargot ravioli with bacon, tamarind-miso sauce.
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  Girl & the Goat wood oven roasted pig face with sunny side up egg, cilantro, red wine-maple, potato stix.

  Girl & the Goat wood oven roasted pig face with sunny side up egg, cilantro, red wine-maple, potato stix.
• See all photos from Linda T. for Girl & the Goat

3/31/2015

We were completely blown away by this place.  We made reservations approx one month in advance for a 6pm slot, prior to going the show Book of Mormon.  I'll start by saying we were seated at the front of the house, near the entrance windows.  The seating was very tight, but the service was quick.  Despite the restaurant being full to capacity, the waitress was extremely attentive.

The drink menu is extensive, we elected to go with some of the craft beers on tap.  They were delivered in the appropriate types of beer glasses, perfectly chilled.

Now the Apps.....we ordered all vegetarian items...starting with the bread with butter....it was so amazing, it melted in our mouth....next we had the chillies with parmesan cheese...OMG...it was the most amazing preparation of green chillies I have ever had..they were perfectly flavored with just the right amount of spice....the perfect accompaniment to a cold beer.  

After that we had the chick pea fritters....it was like I died and went to heaven....I am embarrassed that someone in the USA took an Indian classic and elevated it to a heavenly level.  The perfect blend of spices and soft and crunchy....I was blown away....

The last app we tried was the cauliflower, it was good, not my favorite, my wife loved it, but I think it was ok.

As for dessert we tried two different items....both were spectacular.  I wish I could remember the names.....but it doesn't really matter...the take away from this review is that everything at Girl & the Goat is outstanding.  One the best restaurants I have been to in the Chicago area.

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  Cauliflower dish, my wife loved it

  Cauliflower dish, my wife loved it
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  Bread with butter...Make sure you get it, perfect way to start your meal

  Bread with butter...Make sure you get it, perfect way to start your meal
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  Green chile dish....AMAZING!!!!

  Green chile dish....AMAZING!!!!

4/18/2015

I arrived at 4pm it opens at 430pm. There was already a line!!!

But no worries I got seated immediately at 430p. Everyone got seated it seems so come here at 4:15pm latest and you'll get seated

I ordered 3 items off the list. It's all communal food.

First was the duck tongues. Wow get this seriously! It was refreshing and just so unique. There was tuna in it as well. Yum yum I've never tasted anything like this before. Just wow wow wow.  5/5

Second was the pig face. There's an egg that's sunny side up on it. You're advised to mix it all up and eat it. Yummy. 5/5

Third was the goat belly and confit. This was delicious as well. I just wasn't a big fan of the smell for some odd reason but still 5/5

It was a special occasion (told them it was my anniversary with my gf when I made the reservation at 1130p which I cancelled when I arrived at 430p that day instead). They gave us free dessert. Wow wow so 5/5 too.

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  Free dessert because it was our anniversary. Special and rare.

  Free dessert because it was our anniversary. Special and rare.
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  Goat belly. Order this because you need to eat goat when you're in Chicago.

  Goat belly. Order this because you need to eat goat when you're in Chicago.
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  Pig face. It's not the entire head so no worries. Just the cheeks. Yummy

  Pig face. It's not the entire head so no worries. Just the cheeks. Yummy
• See all photos from Dennis L. for Girl & the Goat

6/3/2015

It was Sunday night in Chicago and I was on the hunt for where to have dinner my last night in town.  After considerable head scratching and debating with myself in my hotel room I decided on Girl & the Goat to start my night.

My first tip to anyone reading this that might be in town on a business trip like I was: Dont even try to make last second reservations on the weekend. This place is extremely busy and for good reason, the food was outstanding! (I'll get to that in a minute). If you only have a small group I would recommend walking in sometime around 6 PM and asking for a table. You will likely be told that there is a 1.5 to 2+ hour wait which is to be expected, however the actual wait time based on my experience and some other locals I had spoken with was considerably less (half the estimate). In addition, the planed wait time will allow you to walk right across the street to the Highly reviewed Lonely Wolf Bar to sit down and Sample some of their excellent cocktails while you wait.  Don't worry, Girl & the Goat will text you when your table is ready and your blood alcohol levels will be pre-primed for the experience!

Now onto the important part, the food...

Because I was dining alone (I cleverly evaded my colleagues' typical business trip steak dinners) I decided to splurge on three of their top-rated dishes. Each one of them was unique, complex, and beyond impressive.  Here are my thoughts on each:

Wood Oven Roasted Pigs Face:.

Even during my preliminary research the thought of pigs face in a dish admitting only made my stomach turn. I have been to many pig roasts and I'm not a freak that generally eats the face and eyes the roasted pig (although I will grab at the rest of the pig like a crazed zombie).  This dish easily surfaced as my favorite throughout my meal. As you can see in the countless photos on yelp the pig faces is served topped with a fried egg. The flavor of the warm yoke blends with the fat in the slice of pork so well I having trouble putting it into words... Add tamarind, cilantro, and red wine-maple;  It was heavenly.  Just order it.  No more questions please.

Pan Roasted Halibut:

The halibut was outstanding, initially slightly salty and quickly transitioned into spicy and sweet with marcona almond butter, white asparagus, blueberry nuoc cham, The ginger,and the mushrooms just added to the variety. It was incredibly complex and delicious. I would order this again in a heartbeat.  

Grilled Baby Octopus:

The baby octopus dish was served with fava beans, pea, pistachios and a lemon vinaigrette.  I LOVED the use of the fava beans In this dish. I have ordered octopus countless times over the years in many countries and this was easily the most unique presentation I have encountered. Very good.

If I could add a + to the end of my 5 stars I would.  A meal like this in New York City would easily have cost double the price. Follow my advice, walk in, reserve a table, and go get drinks across the street while you wait for a text message. I promise you you will not be disappointed. 5+

Next time I am in Chicago I will be back 100%

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  The infamous pig face dish!

  The infamous pig face dish!
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  One of the four similarly sized sections of the restaurant

  One of the four similarly sized sections of the restaurant
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  The complex and outstanding halibut

  The complex and outstanding halibut
• See all photos from Adam A. for Girl & the Goat

8/6/2015

Like most other Chicagoans, my boyfriend and I had to make a reservation a few months in advance. This built up the anticipation of eating here and we were not disappointed!

I don't know what half of the ingredients are in the dishes but they are 5 stars every time! We shared the chickpea fritters, calamari bruschetta, and the crisp braised pork shank. For dessert we had the miso-butterscotch budino. EVERYTHING WAS AMAZING! We can't wait to go back!

6/1/2015

Aside from Alinea, this was my favorite meal in the Chi Town!

// LOCATION // West Loop across the street from Au Cheval and Little Goat Diner.

// RESERVATIONS // Very necessary if its a busy weekend. We went Memorial Day weekend with a large party and made our reservations more than 1 month ahead of time. If you have a smaller party, you may get lucky with walk in.

// SERVICE // Excellent. Your water cup will never be empty and I was very impressed by how the dishes were brought out and staggered so you can build on the flavor compositions and appreciate each dish before sampling the next.

// FOOD //
    + Shishito peppers: Good with a spicy kick
    + Tongue salad: Loved the citrus-y dressing
    + Goat carpaccio: light and refreshing
    + Grilled octopus: Super tender and well flavored
    + Pork shank: ridiculously fall-off-the-bone-shred-it-with-a-fork tender
    + Pan roasted halibut: very savory

*tip: Make reservations!
*tip: Approximately 2 dishes per person is good to start with if you are trying to get full here. Order 2 of dishes you really want to try if you have a party of 5 or more so there is enough to go around.

6/25/2015

I totally get the hype! We took our chances and just showed up around 9 pm on a Tuesday. We luckily walked right in and got 2 seats at the bar, which is first come-first serve.

Drinks = excellent! I loved the Lux Goods, which is gin with a little kick.

Food = amazing! The Wood Oven Roasted Pig Face and the Confit Goat Belly were two of the most incredible dishes I've ever had. Both full of flavor and textures! I would strongly recommend. The Escargot Ravioli and Broccoli were both great too, but I'd be willing to try something else recommended from the veggie and fish options.

Dessert = The Best! I would be fine with having the Miso-Butterscotch Budino as the only dessert for the rest of my life!

Cheese = I love that they have after-dinner cheese options for those of us that don't always want sweets. We got a creamy and a stinky, both equally as delicious. Sorry, I don't remember the names, we only asked for creamy and stinky!

Bartenders = Informative, attentive and entertaining!

5/29/2015

One thing I noticed about Chicago's cuisine is that they sure do love their tapas. Portions are pretty small so you must order a minimum of four to five dishes between two people to get full.  The girl and the goat specializes mainly in GOAT (DUH) and pork. I was excited to try this place because this was the highest rated restaurant from all the restaurants we went to in Chicago (btw I'm A tourist here) but definetly wasn't the best restaurant that we tried.

We tried the Chickpea fritters. The chickpea fritters was very well seasoned and they made it so that the taste resembled meat. It was served with a tangy yogurt sauce which balanced out the deep flavors of the chickpeas.

Grilled baby octopus- good but heavily seasoned with salt. Ordered a brioche bun because it was too salty to eat alone. Their breads all come with unique home made butters and sauce to accentuate the taste.

Also tried the goat confit with lobsters and the goat empanyadas. The best unexpected thing was the empanyadas. They were Perfect. HIghly recommend the empanyadas.

7/25/2015

My aunt and uncle were visiting from Israel and they asked me to take them somewhere delicious and quintessentially Chicago. With only a few hours to book a reservation, I took a chance on the website and saw a last minute spot available for Girl & The Goat.  After hearing stories about months long waiting lists, I couldn't pass up the opportunity.

From the first step inside you know that this place is something special. It blends something of Chicago's storied working class reputation with the city's trendy up-and-coming elite.

The food was delicious as well as reasonably priced for the quality of the flavor profiles. The dishes were served tapas-style, so that the table could share and savor each dish. The service was friendly and attentive. Our waiter did such a good job of pacing the dishes and choosing the order of them that we had to call him an artist!

My favorite dish was the sugo, with the most unexpected and bright gooseberries. My aunt and uncle's favorite was the calamari bruschetta, which had the feel of biting into a leather chair next to a fireplace on a cloudy day in a house by the seaside. Coming in at a close second was the roasted cauliflower.

Next time, I would order a second helping of the bread and do without the grilled chicken and grilled broccoli.